Simon Kerr-Edwards

Inspection report for adoption support agency: Simon Kerr-Edwards 1 Simon Kerr-Edwards Resthaven, Chinnor Road, Bledlow Ridge, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP14 4AJ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this adoption support agency

This adoption support agency is run by an individual practitioner and is based in the south east of England.

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Information about this adoption support agency

The provider offers attachment-based play therapy and therapeutic life-story work either individually for children, or jointly for children and adoptive parents. The provider also offers therapeutic parental support consultations for adoptive parents. The registered provider continues to work with children into adulthood where it is appropriate to do so.

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outstanding

How well children, young people and adults are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The adoption support agency provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the adoption support agency contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for service users.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for adoption support agency: Simon Kerr-Edwards 2

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The registered provider offers consistently outstanding adoption support services to children, adopted adults and adoptive parents. The services provided have a significant impact on people’s lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The registered provider ensures that children and their families receive highly individualised packages of therapy. An adoptive parent said, ‘The support has given us more than we expected. It’s very child-led, child-centred but it is family-centred too.’ The registered provider ensures that therapy packages remain under review and are amended in response to changing needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children and adopted adults build strong, trusted relationships with the registered provider. This enables them to feel safe to explore challenging and complex elements of their life history. Parents feel valued and included in their child’s therapy. For some parents, this is their first experience of unconditional acceptance. This enables them to speak openly about their challenges and engage in strategies to achieve change.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

An exceptional strength of this registered provider is his skill at working systemically, considering and engaging with all aspects of the child’s life. For example, he has provided individual sessions to school staff to help them to understand the impact of children’s early childhood trauma on their behaviour. This not only increases school staff’s understanding of the child’s needs, but also ensures that the child receives consistent responses in different settings. This innovative approach has enabled children at risk of exclusion to remain in school.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The registered provider is a strong advocate for the children and families that he works with. This includes providing reports and attending meetings to support families in, for example, education or safeguarding processes. Parents highly value his experience and knowledge in these areas. One parent said, ‘He gives us the insight that no one argues with.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The registered provider ensures that the voices of children are evident in all aspects of his work. Children are part of developing strategies to help them to manage difficult scenarios. Role-playing these situations gives children confidence in their ability to cope. Children give regular feedback to the provider about their therapy and are wholly positive about their experiences.

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outstanding

The registered provider has a sound understanding of his safeguarding responsibilities. He has clear processes in place to ensure that, if concerns arise, these are quickly identified and reported. He works closely with statutory agencies Inspection report for adoption support agency: Simon Kerr-Edwards 3 to ensure that relevant information is shared, and risks are understood in the context of the child’s history and experiences. This responsive practice safeguards the well-being of children.

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outstanding

The registered provider’s work has a significant and sustained impact in reducing risk in families. This includes reductions in self-harming behaviour and child to parent violence. Sensitive, individual play therapy and therapeutic parenting work help provide stability for families that may otherwise have experienced family breakdown. Children are enabled to understand their responses and make different choices. An adopted adult told the inspector, ‘I have definitely put things in a different perspective. It has helped me to change and handle things differently. I see things differently.’

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outstanding

Well-planned therapeutic support enables adoptive parents to understand the impact of early trauma on their child. This empowers adoptive parents, giving them a greater empathy and allowing them to understand the world through their child’s eyes. The registered provider supports adoptive parents to develop a shared communication with their children that enables them to discuss complex areas openly within their family. An adoptive parent said, ‘We feel more confident as parents that we can give both children the right support that they need as individuals.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered provider is a passionate, committed practitioner who is dedicated to providing the highest quality support to children, adopted adults and their parents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered provider is an extremely experienced and knowledgeable therapist. He ensures that he uses training and wider reading to keep up to date with sector developments and these inform his therapy sessions. He has published articles regarding play therapy and has links with universities and local authorities, developing new practice in adoption support. He supports practitioners internationally, developing play therapy as a resource in other countries. This widespread engagement in learning and development ensures that his practice is both current and innovative.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Highly effective communication ensures that partnership working is a significant strength of this service. Feedback from children, adopted adults, parents, social workers and commissioners throughout this inspection was wholly positive. Particular reference was made to the registered provider’s creativity, responsiveness and communication. Effective working relationships support outstanding outcomes for children, adoptive parents and adopted adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered provider values external scrutiny of his service, be this through inspection or using external practitioners to review business planning. He is keen to identify and respond to areas for improvement, ensuring that he provides the best possible service to children and their families. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Simon Kerr-Edwards 4 The registered provider has ensured that suitable arrangements are in place for his clinical supervision. These arrangements are well established and provide a regular opportunity for the registered provider to review and reflect on his practice. In addition, this is a fundamental tool in his responses to safeguarding, allowing him a forum to discuss and consider risk. This significantly reduces the risk of insular practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered provider has excellent oversight of his service and demonstrates sound management understanding. Both recommendations raised at the last inspection have been met. He has not yet undertaken a management qualification relevant to operating the adoption support agency. However, the strength of his oversight and the size of the service mean that the impact of this omission is limited. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Simon Kerr-Edwards 5

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should ensure that they undertake a qualification in management at least at level 4. (Adoption: national minimum standards 2014, 19.3)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, young people and adults, using the social care common inspection framework.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the adoption support agency, how it meets the core functions as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Adoption Support Agencies (England) and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Simon Kerr-Edwards 6

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider address: Resthaven, Chinnor Road, Bledlow Ridge, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP14 4AJ

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Adoption support agency details

Email address: simonkerredwards@gmail.com

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Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for adoption support agency: Simon Kerr-Edwards 7 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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